Stories from Palestine: The Publishers of Ramallah Keeping Heritage Alive

The books we carry at Handmade Palestine are not souvenirs. They are interactive and living ways to engage — stories written for Palestinian children, published in Ramallah, designed to be read and passed on. Behind each title is a publisher committed to the idea that Palestinian children have the right to books in their own language, rooted in their own world.

Tamer Institute for Community Education

Tamer Institute has been one of the most important forces in Palestinian children's publishing for over three decades. Founded in Ramallah, Tamer produces and distributes Arabic-language books for children across Palestine and the diaspora — from picture books for toddlers to chapter books for older readers.

Their titles range from classic children's stories retold in Palestinian Arabic, to original works by Palestinian authors and illustrators. They also run reading programmes, libraries, and literacy initiatives across the West Bank — including in communities where book access has been severely limited.

The books we carry from Tamer vary but often include Arabic alphabet learning books, children's picture books featuring Palestinian landscapes, plants and birds, and seasonal and folklore titles.

Palestine Writing Workshop

Palestine Writing Workshop takes a different approach — working with children and young people as writers, not just readers. Their publishing output comes directly from the workshops they run, producing illustrated books that carry children's own words and stories into print.

Their interactive books — including the Adventures with Balout series and the Sabira's Adventures series — are designed to be read together, with activities and questions built into the text. They are books that ask something of the reader, which is the best kind.

Seven Stones

Seven Stones publishes bilingual and English-language titles that bridge Palestinian stories into a wider readership — including Sitti the Scientist, which celebrates Palestinian heritage through the story of a grandmother who is also a scientist, written in English for diaspora communities and international audiences.

Together, these three publishers represent a commitment to Palestinian childhood that goes beyond nostalgia. They are building a literature for a living culture.